Dirigible-headlight mechanism



July 5, 1927. 1,634,630

I J. s. ROWLEY 15m. DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT MECHANISM Filed Nov. 25, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1,634,630 July 1927' J. s. ROWLEY ET AL DIRIGIBLEi HEADLIGHT MECHANISM Filed Nov. 25, 192.5 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 zzi- MIAMI! Patented Juiy 5, 1927.

JOHN s. novvnmr,Joni ;w. Rmmams r'n'riailria E. MGC'ULL' r LANSING, I

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DIRIGIBLE-itnnfimenr Application ina mama-r 25, 1925 Serial m. 71,133.

This invent-ion rel-atesto an improved di'rigrhle headllght' mechanism of the general character disclosed n our prio'r' appl-ication for {a similar invention filed October '36), 1924;,

Serial No. 7 16,8417, and seeks, among other obj dots, to provide a =niech'a nisn o'tsi-mplified construction and, at the same-time, of-increased eiliciency and convenience.

' The invention sek's, as a f-urthe'r object, to provide an improved means for norma lly "locking the headlights in position directed straight ahead.- i 1 7 1 Still-another object of the inyen tion is; to provide an improved -'mou'nting for the headlights; V I

And the invention-seeks, as a'still further object, to provide an improved 'means for turningthe headlights.

"Other objects .of the invention not specifically mentioned inthe foregoing, i li appear during the course ofthe following description.

In the accoinpanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the present niechanisinin connection With-"a conventional niotor vehicle.

Figure 2 is a horizontalsectional View particularly showing the liousing'ifor the connecting rod which eXt'endsbetWe-en the rotatable spindles of the mechanism, a portion of the housing being broken away and shown in section.

Figure '8 is a vertical sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking'in the direction indicated by the-arrows.

Figure 4: is aideta'i'l perspective viewshowing one of the rotatable spindles and the '0P erating arm therefor.

Figure 5 is a plan View particularly showing'the soc'l'r'e'ts in the upper ends of thebearmp s for the spindles. e

Figure B is a fragmentary sectional view particularly showing the flexible operating shaft andcentrqrhanele. A

in; carrying the mien into eflecft, we employ a pa-ii "of tubular bearings r0 tennterloored at their lower endst'o Fiend-recesses .1 a d i t d ne rm n r a Sides 9? the 'b fis it h r are er lir 12, the side Walls of which are;

with 1 1' s' m w e2 v,

er-ably formed of suitable sheet imetalzand 13'. The liousiiigs' m 'a refprovidedfwitli fiatsur-facs to confront terminate in alined nipples 14 which extend toward each other between the bearings and.

are splitats-the free ends thereof to accom DTOCl'EttG a housingtube 15 which extends between said nipples. gDep'ending from the nipples at the lower sides thereof, as more particularly shown'in Figure -1, are pairs of mating ears 16 whichac'commodat'e suitable fastening devices 17, adjustable for clamping' the endsiof the nipplesinengagement with the ends ofthe tube. 'EXtendi-ng from the bearings 10, at the outer *sidesthereof,

are brackets 18 which terminate infflan-ges 19. As shown inFi-gure' 1, these flanges are disposed to rest flat against the-aprons20, er the-front fenders of the motor vehicle, and extending through said flanges and through said aprons are suitable fastening devices rigidly connecting the brackets with said tenders for supporting the bearings 10 in. vertical position at the front of the vehicle radiator.

J ourna-led through the hearings 10 are tubular 'spin'd'les21 providedat their-upper endsv With circular heads 22 resting fiat against the upper ends oftheibearings, and projecting from the rear's'ides of said heads are arms 23 which are freely accommodated in the. housings. -12 of I said bearings. As brought out in Figure 2, the openings 13 in the housings are adapted to freely receive thearms -23therethrough so that the spindles may be readilyiasseinloled upon the bearings, and extendingybetween the arms of said spindles is a connecting rod -2& which, as seen in F iguro 3, is provided at its ends with upstanding pins 23 engaged through said arms. Thus the spindles are coupled to-rotate in unison While the connecting :rod is enclosed so that mud cannot collect thereon and, preferably, the connecting rod is formed of sections adjustably connected loy 'a sleeve 25 so that the length of "the rod inay be readily varied.

The headlights are indicated @826. ,These I 'l eadl-i ghts "ma 'he of. any approved design huh-for the purpose of the present invention, are equipped at their lower s ides with base I These anembers are prefthe upper ends of the head 22 for the spindles. Extending through the base members and through said spindles are bolts 28 which are provided at their upper ends with squared portions 29, and screwed on the lower ends of the bolts are nuts 30. As shown in Figure 8, the squared portions 29 of said bolts fit through correspondingly shaped openings in the base members 27 of the headlights so that the headlights will thus turn with the bolts, and interposed between the nuts 30 of said bolts and the lower ends of the bearings 10, are end plates 31 closing the recesses 11 of said bearings. Fitting the lower-ends of the spindles 21 within said recesses are washers 32, and freely accommodated in said recesses are springs 33 bearing at their lower ends against. said washers for yieldably holding the spindles against upward displacement.

As will be perceived, the nuts 30 may be adjusted for tightly binding the spindles and the headlights 26 in assembled relation while the springs 33 will function to take up any looseness which may develop between the parts, so'that, at alltimes, the headlights and the spindles will be tightly connected to turn in unison.

Rising from the upper end of the head 22 of the spindle 21 at the left of the vehicle. as seen in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, are spaced studs 34, and interposed at one end between the base member 27 of the headlight of said spindle and the spindle head. as seen in Figure 3, is an arm 35 apertured to accommodate said studs. As shown in Figure 4, the arm is also provided with a squared opening to receive the squared portion 29 of the bolt which connects the headlight with the spindle so that the arm is not only rigidly connected with the spindle but is also rigidly connected with said bolt and, of course, the adjacent end of the arm will be tightly clamped between the base member 27 of the headlight and the head of the spin dle. As brought out in Figure 2, the arm extends laterally inward in a direction between the headlights and is offset upwa-:dly to clear the housing 12 and nipple 14 of the adjacent bearing 10. Extending through the instrument board 36 of the vehicle. as shown in Figure 6, is a flexible sheath 3? which is provided at its adjacent end witha head 38 having a flange 39 to abut the outer face of the instrument boa1*d,'a11d screwed on said head is a nut 40 abutting the inner face of the instrument board for rigidly connecting the sheath therewith. The sheath 37 extends forwardly beneath the motor ve hicle hood and, as shown in Figure 2, emerges at the forward end of thehood at the adjacent side of, the vehicle radiator 41,

' and slidable through said sheath is a flexible shaft 42; Fixed to the rear end of said shaft is a handle 43 and connecting the forward end of the shaft with the arm 35 is a Y for turning the headlights laterally'in one direction while, by pushing forwardly on the handle, the headlights may be turned laterally in the opposite direction.

Formed in each of the heads 22 of the spindles 21 isa plurality of spaced verti cally disposed openings 45, and freely received in said openings are ball detents 46. Formed in the upper face of each of the bearings 10, as shown in Figure 5, is a plurality of sockets 47 to accommodate said detents, and pressing the detents downwardly to normally seat in said sockets are springs 48 which are freely received in the openings 45 of the heads of the spindles. As shown in Figure 3, the inner end of the arm 35 provides a retaining means for the springs of one of the spindles while the springs of the other spindle are, as will be at once appreciated, retained by the base member 27 of the headlight carried by the latter spindle. Thus, as will be perceived, the detents 46 will normally serve to yieldably lock the headlights in position directed straight ahead.- However, the headlights may, nevertheless, be swung laterally in either one direction or the other, as previously explained, when, upon the return of the headlights to their normal position, the detents 46 will again seat in the sockets 4'? of the bearings 10 for rigidly locking the headlights against vibration.

Having thus described the invcntion, what we claim is:

1. In a dirigible headlight mechanism, a bearing formed with a bore, a spindle journaled in the bore of said bearing and pro vided with a head overlying the upper end of said bearing, said spindle having-an FIX-V ially disposed bore, a headlight, a bracket for the headlight formed with a non-circular opening, a turning handle having one end portion disposed between the lamp bracket and head of said spindle and formed with an opening registering with and conforming to the contour of the opening in the lamp bracket, means for interlocking the turning handle with the head of said spindle to prevent independent turning thereof, and a bolt passed through the bore of said spindle and having a head at its upper end overlying said lamp bracket and adjoining its head having its shank formed with a noncircular portion snugly seated in the non circular openings of the lamp bracket and turning handle.

2. In a dirigible headlight mechanism, a bearing formed witha bore, a spindle journaled 1n the bore of said bearing and provided with a head overlying the upper end of said bearing, said spindle having an axially disposed bore, pins projecting upwarddle and 'spindlebore to hold the headlight 1y from the spindle head, a turning'handle and handle in engagement with thespindle. resting upon the spindle head and having In testimony Whereofwe afiix our signa- 10 openings'seouring said pins, a headlight, a tures. v bracket for said headlight resting unon said JOHN S. ROWLEY. [L. s.]

J OHNW. RIGGLES. [11. s.]

handle above said spindle, and a bolt passed 7 through the headlight braeket,.turning han- HILAND E; MGGULLY. [L. s] 

